by Marjorie Spears, Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc.

The suspensions of assurances and federally funded research at major research institutions and the death of Jesse Gelsinger in September 1999 at the University of Pennsylvania was a wake-up call that something had gone wrong with the current oversight system for protecting human research participants. Two years later another death at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine prompted the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) to conduct a for-cause site visit that resulted surprisingly in the suspension of the university's assurance and research in the medical school. Many asked how this could have happened at one of the best medical schools in the country—especially after two years of close scrutiny of research institutions and severe penalty for regulatory noncompliance by the federal government. The relevant issue is not why this happened at Johns Hopkins, but rather what can the research community do to prevent further shutdowns of research programs.

All ASA Members to Get Contexts in February

The American Sociological Association is in the "countdown" phase of producing the first issue of Contexts in its first volume year. In February, the first issue of this new ASA magazine will be sent free of charge to all 2002 members. Members who have already purchased Contexts as part of their membership renewal have already received a discount to adjust for this complimentary issue.

City & Community Forthcoming in March

by Anthony Orum, University of Illinois-Chicago, and Nancy Denton, University of Albany

In March a new journal will hit the newsstands. City & Community is the official journal of the Community and Urban Sociology Section (CUSS). Notably it is the first section journal ever approved for publication by the Committee on Publications and the Council of the American Sociological Association (ASA). Thus, it represents a pioneering moment for both the ASA and the CUSS Section.